MJ Akbar presses charges against journalist accuses her of defamation

In yet another development in the #MeToo which is raging in India, MJ Akbar who has been accused of sexual harassment by the journalist Priya Ramani has been sued by the minister on the grounds

of ‘intentionally’ trying to harm the minister’s reputation by putting forward ‘malicious and fabricated allegations.’ 

Priya was the first one to step up and speak up against her former boss who has later been accused of harassment by several other women. However, the charges he has filed are just against Priya Ramani.

Priya responded to the charges by saying that she is ready to fight him in court and truth was her only way of defense in this case. She also added her disappointment that a minister would dismiss allegations by several women as a political conspiracy against him. She also said that with the move to sue her, the minister had made his intention known, that he will fight the issue with intimidation and more harassment instead of owning up to his actions and apologizing.

Priya Ramani also encouraged the women who stood up and spoke about the harassment they faced because of MJ Akbar and said it took a lot of courage for them to risk their safety to do so. She hopes the issue will come to a fruitful conclusion.

MJ Akbar who just returned from a foreign trip meanwhile chose to remain silent on the issue and refused to give up his position as that would set a ‘bad precedent.’